A week or two ago, I asked Facebook friends and Twitter followers to fill in the blank: “I’d travel more if I had _________.” The top two responses weren’t surprising: most people surveyed would travel more if they had more time and more money.
Personally, I’m convinced that you don’t need a lot of either to travel. All you really need is an adventurous spirit and a willingness to just go. So I’m so excited to introduce a new monthly feature here on the blog: Weekend Wanderlust for One. I’ve invited a few travel bloggers across the U.S. (for now) to guest post once a month but it’s a guest post…with a twist. These are their marching orders: I’m giving them $500 (virtual!) USD to plan a trip to a destination somewhere within four hours of their hometowns. The length of the trip? Three days, two nights. For one person.
Why Weekend Wanderlust for One? Because almost everyone can get away for a long weekend. So:
- If you’re new to solo travel and want to get your feet wet before going on a more extended trip;
- If you’re saving for long-term travel but you need an inexpensive weekend break to tide you over;
- If you don’t get a lot of vacation time at work and you simply have to make do with long holiday weekends; or
- If you’re you’re married/partnered/with kids and you just want to get away on your own for a weekend without going too far away
Weekend Wanderlust for One is for you.
I’ve already been able to convince a couple of my favorite travel bloggers to show you how they’d do the long weekend on a budget. It’s a great way to show people who are new to travel that you don’t have to go far and that it doesn’t have to be expensive to for you to have a great time. Plus, you’ll get to meet and learn a bit more about some darned interesting people with a passion for travel. I hope you enjoy it!
Stay tuned next week for the very first Weekend Wanderlust for One, when I show you how I’d do a long weekend for under $500 starting from my home on the Jersey Shore!
W0RD sista! I feel the same exact way. Oh and in passing, your website banner and slogan are AWESOME! =D And super creative!
Thanks for the compliments! I think they’re awesome too (if I do say so myself!).
This is such a great idea, Marsha! Weekend trips like this are the one reason I ever considered buying a car when I was living in D.C. (but eventually the hassle and expense of keeping one in the city the rest of the time won out, so I stuck with the Metro and Zipcar). And they’re one of the things I’m most looking forward to when I move back to the States and will likely have to bite the bullet and become a car-owner, finally. Can’t wait to read these!
I LOVE this concept!! I do hope that a few bloggers can plan a trip where the destination isn’t more than four hours away by AIR as well. I’m not that much of a driver, so I’d love to see if someone can swing a flight, lodging and activities for $500! If so, I’ll be booking a trip ASAP! LOL! I would LOVE to get away more often if it was budget friendly. I could “steal” away time if I could make the trip fit a TIGHT budget. Can’t wait to read the posts! 🙂
I think its certainly possible to air and 2 nights hotel within that budget–you just have to be really creative! I can’t wait to see what some of the bloggers come up with! I really hope some of their ideas inspire you on how to make a tight budget and a long weekend work for you.
Oh, I should add. My 3 day solo weekend getaway last summer to Niagara-On-The-Lake, was exactly this. I set my budget at $500 and actually came under. This is a very do-able budget.
$500 is absolutely doable and I can’t wait to see how some of the bloggers “spend” the cash. I’m really excited to see this come together!
Ok, this is the funnest concept ever. I LOVE! If you ever open it to Canadians, I would love to participate. In the meantime, I am looking forward to reading the Weekend Wonderlust for One stories/ideas.
I love this idea. A lot of people might not think there’s anything to do where they live, but I’ve learned there’s always something close by to explore. A four hour trip is perfect for a short getaway. I’m looking forward to reading the submissions.
So glad you’re looking forward to reading the submissions…I am too!